In 2010, 2 Australian chiropractic researchers called Hoskins and Pollard reported that when chiropractic care was added to existing sports medicine services for elite footballers, the number of hamstring injuries, lower limb muscle strains and non-contact knee injuries were significantly reduced. Result!

This study was conducted over a full season on 60 players who were randomly assigned to 2 groups. The first group had the same best care they would have had any other season (medication, manipulative physiotherapy, massage, strength and conditioning and rehab exercises). The second received the same best management as the first group but also had chiropractic treatment.

The results were astounding:

• Hamstring injuries - the chiropractic group, 4 missed matches whilst in group 1 14 players missed matches due to hamstring injury!

• Non-contact knee injuries - the chiropractic group, 1 missed a match whereas in group 1, 24 missed matches.

• 'Pulled muscles' in the legs: 4 missed matches in the chiropractic group whilst 21 players missed matches in group 1.

Now you are probably not an elite footballer and your budget is likely tighter than theirs, so why am I telling you this? Well, if you are serious about staying well and giving your body it's best chance to perform then this is the information you need. Do not wait until you've overloaded your muscles/joints resulting in pain and injury. Chiropractic is now not only the solution to your muscle and joint problems, it is the proven treatment of choice for keeping you functioning at your best.

It is a lot easier to fit in a few treatments at regular intervals whilst training than waiting until you're injured and requiring twice as much treatment over a shorter interval during which the pain and/or disability will likely force you to stop training altogether or, at best, significantly reduce the volume/intensity of your training.